>> you are looking at the view from the washington monument, up to the capitol building on the national mall in washington, d.c. where, in exactly one hour, president barack obama will be publicly sworn in for his second term as the 44th president of the united states. good morning. i'm gwen eiffel and welcome to his pbs news hour special coverage of today's nailingration. >> i'm jeffrey brown. it's a bright sunny day here in washington. temperatures remain in the 30's. that's a bit warmer than four

years ago for the president's first inauguration. that of course saw a record-setting crowd, nearly 2 million people. no one is expecting anything quite like that this time around but still, folks have been finding spaces on the mall tonight since the sun came up. you can see them setting up spots now. we will be covering the entire inaugural ceremony live. and if you're not at your tv you can watch our live stream on our home page at news hour.pbs.org or follow us on twitter. >> this earmarks the 150th anniversary of the man'spation proclamation. you can see bill and hillary clinton on the podium. there are also people there celebrating the election of the first african-american president. president obama is only the 16th sitting chief executive to be returned to office. he is the first president since dwight eisenhower to win two consecutive elections with more than 51% of the popular vote. he won for the 372 electoral votes to mitt romney's 206 and

spent part of the morning at the white house having coffee with bipartisan leadership. >> this is the second time the president had his inauguration on the celebration of martin luther king, jr. and it's actually a ceremonial event. the 20th amendment to the constitution mandates that newly elected mandates take place on january 20th and several times that happened on the sunday. and followed by the pomp and pageantry on the following monday. >> both president obama and vice president biden took their official oaths of office why yesterday. >> i barack hussein obama swear -- >> supreme court justice john roberts swore in the first family. justice sotomayor did the honor at the vice president's

residence at the united states naval observe tore in washington. >> and both families attended a church service at the episcopal church directly opposite the white house. moments ago the limousine carrying the obamas and the bidens arrived at the capital after the 12 block trip up pennsylvania avenue from the white house. >> joining us, our news hour regular column younist mark shields and new york sometimes columnist mark brooks. >> big day, gwen. it is a big day. it lacks the inherent drama and expense of the new first inaugural. this is important. i think it's a defining moment for the second inaugural, the president at the top of his popularity over the past three years and this is a chance to lay out what he wants to do, i think, in broad terms and specifically of course in the

the state of the union. >> what do you say about the second inaugural? >> it's a ritual. there's a lot of celebrities in the crowd. i learned he join us franklin roosevelt as the only president to take the oath four times. he did it over two terms though. >> do you want to explain that? >> well he did it twice the first time because of roberts and then he did it twice this time because of sunday. >> yesterday, roberts read from a piece of paper when he administered the formal oath. >> it's experience. you learn from experience. today it will be how obama tackles the speech. in the past it has been a volley and government. the democrats typically say, well, government can do this or can't do that ask so it's really a series of arguments over the role of government and the second thing i'm curious to know about is how tough they were in a pretty partisan atmosphere. he has gotten tougher over the past couple of years with the opposition.

how feist you he is he during the speech. >> things people have picked up in this run up to this inauguration is that the president four years ago in his speech came tout and he actually made a comment about how he was going to to bring an end to the petty grievances and false promises in washington. now four years later was that a false promise? >> yes. i mean, the president, i think, understandably confident and an historic election and all of that perhaps overstated what could be done. this is one place where he seen having come fiercely short and it's in bringing that sense to washington of bipartisanship and of working together and overcoming partisanship and his defenders and supporters will say oh, the republicans have been intransient and small minded and all of that but the reality is washington is a more polarized place than when he took the oath four years ago. >> you say you're looking to see

how tough he is. are you looking for specifics as in here is what i want to do the next four years or more tone. >> it's more tone. the presidents don't get in specifics. they say where we are as a country and fowsh years ago he talked about the crises we were facing and then he hit the themes, the historical themes of sacrifice for country, party unity. for obama the key theme is justice. if you go back to his major speeches, he tends to talk about a bargain between the american people and the government that if you play by the rules you will see the benefits and government has to be there to give you the benefits if you play by the rules. >> we're looking at the mall where everyone is happy and waving and one thing i have to say after having been on the mall four years ago, it was really cold. and -- >> you want to say how warm you are today, right? >> i'm very warm in the presence of my dear friends but also curious how different a second inauguration feels. >> i think it is. it's still to be celebrated and the re-election of president

obama means that the first one wasn't a fluke and that's important. and i think it's especially -- i think it's especially important for african-americans that he has been re-elected and it puts in the serious ranks of chief executive and i agree with david this is a broad-brush time. i doubt there will be a sound of trumpets but i think we will see the theme of what he wants the second amendment to be about. >> we just saw the sons of vice president biden walk in and they're carrying the bibles which will swear in their father. >> we're also joined by three historians today, news hour regular george smith of george mason university and george reed of harvard and beverly of yale university. beverly there are a lot of connections to today, martin luther king, civil war, all kinds of things. >> it is a great day of

anniversaries so it is martin luther king day as we know and also the 50th anniversary of king's speech in washington on this same site. we are looking at the sesquicentennial of the civil war and also of the emancipation proclamation and the 100th anniversary there and it's a day with historical significance and i think luckily these are the kinds of moments that barack obama tends to shine. >> george washington gave the shortest speech ever, four sentences, 135 words or something like that. what are we expecting today? >> we don't expect history to repeat itself. george washington at that point was rather p.o.ed at his treatment in the media of the day. george washington, his private secretary said no sound on earth could compete with that of george washington swearing a blue streak. short of that, he didn't want to

run for a second term anyway so he gave his very short, very odd, almost dare to congress. >> we are watching the first daughters and i guess the first mother-in-law walk through the marion robertson, ma leaand sasha obama. ma leais 14 and sasha is 11. they are dressed head to toe in jay crew. >> thank you for the fashion. >> i will be keeping up with the fashion all day. >> what do you look to in the past when you look at a second inaugural? >> i think it's another affirmation of the american system, have people out on the mall, see the president and the transfer of power and that's the glory of american system and that's what george washington brought, the first person to give up power, no one thought he was going to do it. even though it's a ceremony but it's a ceremony that is -- it bring's lot to our country and to our nation. >> is it one of those

ceremonies, do you agree with beverly and richard that the second time in many respects, speaks more to what people's expectations are of their president than the first time. >> there's been an affirmation of what braun did by a majority of american people. and it turns out, a bigger majority than people thought. many people thought he wasn't going to win at all so this is, i think, have he very important. there's not a same sense of excitement but it is much more important. >> we just saw bill russell on the screen and i have to use my boston sports record when i see someone like that. >> i do fashion, he does -- >> the other thing, talking about a second inaugural, everybody knows the president now. so beverly, how can he differ or how can he be more inspirational? how does he speak to on audience that now knows him? >> unfortunately the track record on this front is not great in the 20th century. obama has been having dinners with historians. i don't think any of us -- having dinner with the long

historians over the past few weeks, to look back both at second inaugurals and second term and they have been succeeded on eisenhower because eisenhower is really the only president in the 20th century to have what people would argue is a better second term than his first term. in terms of the speech itself, i think it's right that we're looking at a question of tone. we're looking at kind of how far obama is going to go in terms of the part san question, and it's really a speech that you make for history as much as for all of those happy people on the mall. >> i have to say, as we look at the platform there, that's quite an elaborate construction by the way, just in case you're wondering. it's 10,000 square feet. ta takes three months to build and they have to do it every four years so we in washington have been able to watch all of this construction going on. i saw on our went you have an interview with the architect who said this is the only thing he is thinking about during the entire -- what can go wrong.

we're thinking about pomp and history and circumstance and he is thinking what happens if the lights go out. now we look at the second lady of the united states, dr. jill biden on her way to the podium as well. >> richard, what do you think about the second speeches as opposed to the first, speaking to an audience that knows you already. >> the greatest inaugural address in history is the second inaugural address which is lincoln which some people say surpasses the gettysburg address. it's the best lay sermon no history. >> and dr. jill bide ep is accompanied by honey alexander, the wife of senator lamar alexander. and by debby boehner, wife of house speaker john boehner. sorry to interrupt you there. >> more recently, you may disagree with the content and the tone but no one will dispute the fact that george w. bush was aiming for the bleachers with

his second inaugural with what he called his freedom speech which is -- in terms of projecting american force, moral and military around the world in the wake of 9/11 and the doctrine of preemptive military action. >> you knows the reference to lincoln, we talk about being in a divided america now. in many ways we are politically. but you think about lincoln and that inauguration, both of his, it was a different level. >> different level all together. he is involved in the conflict where half a million people would be killed, the end of channeled slavery. a lot is at stake. we're fighting now but not anywhere like that, thank god. >> we're about to see the introduction of the first lady of the united states, michelle obama. as you watched her grow in this role the last four years, what do you think? >> well she has done -- she is a, the most popular person in america just about. she has firmed up the sense of this family as a very

responsible family that people can relate to, which was not always going to be obvious. so i think she has had that important role. she has not had the role hillary clinton had of getting involved in public policy. and i wouldn't be surprised -- and this is something she is capable of doing so i wouldn't be surprised over the second term if she drifts more in into that role. more publicly, i think she has had a significant role behind the scenes. >> jill biden has just been introduced to the crowd and taken her place. mark? >> i think it's remarkable, when she started in the campaign in 2008, where the remark about, i've never been more proud of my country, she was attacked and became a political listening rod, and it's been a very conscious, concentrated and effective effort to bring her back to the point where she is a figure of towering popularity and influence in the country. i agree with david that the family, if anything, seems

central to their reality. i mean there's no question about it. and so i think, in that sense, the one thing that surprises me, she has not taken on an issue that one would call at all controversial, and i would be interested if she does that the second term, maybe -- not to the drag of hillary clinton, but something maybe moving on in the military families. >> as you're talking about michelle obama we're watching her about to be introduced as she approaches the top of that -- of the podium there. she is -- of course we can't it. michelle obama is a fashion icon among many other things and she is -- everybody has been closely watching to see what she would have on. she wering a naviy tom brown coat and dress. fabric was developed based on a men's silk tie and j. crew belt and shoes and much discussed new hairstyle. >> i know silk ties. david, do you want to comment? >> mark is so much more up on

that subject than i am. >> should we stop him? >> we should stop right there before it gets out of control. we're about to hear the introduction of first lady michelle obama. she will be accompanied by the stairs by nancy erikson, the secretary of the senate. karen hoss, mrs. iris wine stawn, wife of chuck schumer, and the wife of harry reed and mr. paul pelosi, the husband of house minority leader nancy pelosi. >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, the first lady of the united states, mrs. michelle obama, accompanied by secretary of the senate nancy erikson, clerk of the house of representatives, karen h0. 0s, mrs. schubert, mrs. reed and -- [cheering]

>> next up we're going to see the approach and about to be announced of vice president, the world's happiest guy, bill biden. don't think we have ever seen him except in times of national crises without that smile on his face. >> and why not today. >> it's the effect of joe biden's remarks on this administration. they were an odd couple. he was the hot to barack obama's cool. >> he was the punch line for a lot of late-night monologues. if anything, joe biden has emerged in this administration has a key player and indispensable player in dealing with the congress and the political part of politics, the people part of politics which the president does not spend a lot of time, effort, or energy

on. >> do you agree with that. >> if you look at the deal with congress, they tried every other relationship, the obama, the reed-mcconnell relationship but it was the biden relationship that set it off. he know he how to run a meeting. he runs through them. that's how you run a meeting. he know he how to do that. >> recently the president at a press conference had to say i'm a friendly guy, i'm a people guy, but joe biden really is that. >> joe biden is. and joe biden's excesses of being a people person and gregarious and enormously approachable, have been very important to this administration and to what david pointed out what happened, particularly in the last couple of months. briefly, we always here this is the most important vice president in the history of the world. how does he rank as vice presidents go? >> he actually just may be -- this may be one of the rare occasions where the superlative

applies. we heard it about dick cheney in a different way. cheney, you had a sense -- cheney was in many ways provided the intellectual framework particularly for a lot of bush foreign policy. vice president biden used the senate and the relationships there and his practical skills has been invaluable in terms of promoting the agenda. >> now we have the marine band about to introduce the vice president of the united states. >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, the vice president of the united states, joseph r. biden, accompanied by inaugural coordinator for the joint congressional committee on ceremonies, kelly fado. senate department sergeant at arms, martina bradford. house saght at arms carry handley. harry reed and nancy pelosi.

>> i said that was the marine band. it was the u.s. army herald trumpets. >> have to get that right. >> what were you saying mark? joe, joe, joe? >> i think this concerns what we were talking about. >> our first glimpse of the president as he walks through the hall, accompanied as you can see behind by chuck schumer head of the joint committee and next to him, lamar alexander of the bipartisanship on display and behind him the leadership of the house and the senate. >> it is a ceremony whereby patternship is on display. >> it's university of the few. >> some of the cummings are a little chillier than others. >> beverly, you were shaking your head. >> when you go back and look at past inaugurals, every president comes up and says this is a moment for us all 0 come together and put aside our petty grievances and it bears little

relationship to what comes next. >> we have heard people say the second inauguration is as important as the first but as you watch this and compare it to four years ago, it's not the same sizzle but it's certainly something. >> it's something, as i said before. it's about the reaffirmation or the confirmation that people do in fact like barack obama. barack obama and his family. the first time, the whole notion of history -- we were talking about history today but the idea of a black man becoming the president of the united states, something i never thought i would see in my lifetime, was something that that was very emotional. >> all on its own. >> without any other ceremonial thing, just that one fact because many people thought they would never see the day so there was happiness and crying at that time. >> but a different feel this time. >> different feel. >> because it's four years of what reality is? >> four years of reality. as i said, it's the sort of thing where we know who barack obama is and we have this sense that people -- >> but it's not same way it was

before. >> that's an amazing cheering shot. one of the things you can see on the mall, they have jumbotrons set up so even if you can't get close enough to see the president walk out they're seeing what we're seeing which is the first glimpse of the president walking. >> we say it's not as many people as last time but for the people in the mall -- >> get a shot of the trumpets, the heraldry and the pageantry. >> mark? >> i was thinking 28 years ago i was covering walter mondale's campaign. he was in los angeles. >> we're going to stop. the president of the united states. [trumpet fanfare] ♪ ♪ . >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states, barack h. obama, accompanied by staff director are to ceremonies, jean borocisz, terrance gainer, house

sergeant at arms, paul irving, chairman of the joint congressional committee on ceremonies, charles schumer, senator lamar alexander, the speaker of the house of representatives, john boehner, senate majority leader harry reed, house majority leader eric examine for and house democratic leader nancy pelosi. [applause] >> i think when you walk through the archway and behold what we just saw, that is a spectacular moment. no matter how many times, even if you get two chances at it, it's quite remarkable. >> it was the people that held him up, one of the things the white house feels about this election is 2459 their supporters really had their back and they came out and voted for him. and said the last time was about the history. the people really had his back when he was under attack. >> yesterday, he turned who his daughter and said, i did it. it's those little declarations that stand out in the larger

history. >> yesterday when he said "i did it" i think he was talking about getting it right. >> his daughter had just teased him. >> he didn't mess up. >> it's not his fault. he is there with his daughters and his wife is surrounded by the robinsons. yesterday when he got the formal oath of office, the official one, brace for joe boyd en,he was sworn in on the robinson family bible. today he say will be holding two, one a abraham lincoln bible and the other a traveling bible that was owned by martin luther king, jr. at the time he was passing through dexter baptist church in montgomery. we know the biography of ly thef the united states to move from the senate to white house and he is not for lack of trying on the part of many people including many people on the podium. he is born in hawaii, raised mostly in honolulu except for a few years when he moved around with his mother and lived in indonesia. before he was elected president two years ago he was a first

term president from -- first term senator from illinois and he came to knowledge, wonder what joe biden is saying to him right now. that's something you want the -- that's a big deal. he's a big deal. >> make sure the mike was off. >> he has been married to michelle obama 21 years. he is 51. she just turned 49 years old. i was at a ceremony yesterday when where they sang happy birthday to the first lady and he was reelected by a wide margin after a long and tough election. this is the tab low you look at every four years and just think to yourself, this is democracy changing hands. >> this is it, when you see that grand sweep of the people, and it closeness on the small group up there on the podium as well as the former president of the united states, george h. w. bush. >> and his brother is behind him. >> george h. w. bush is not

present. justice sotomayor, scalia and roberts. and james taylor, and he will be performing later. >> we're waiting. chuck schumer will be here. >> just to complete that one story, jessie jackson was running against walter mondale. it was a mondale rally and it was a african-american letter carrier. i said who are you for? he said i support jessie jackson because my son instead of wanting to be magic johnson, he wants -- >> now the moan is beginning mark. charles schumer of new york, the chairman of the joint committee on inaugural ceremony. >> mr. president, mr. vice president. members of congress, all who are present, and to all who are watching, welcome to the capital and to his celebration of our

great democracy. [applause] [cheering] >> this is the 57th inauguration of an american president. and no matter how many times one witnesses this event, it's simplicity, its innate majesty, and most of all, it's meaning, that sacred yet cautious entrusting of power from we the people to our chosen leader, never fails to make one's heart beat faster as it will today with the inauguration of president barack h. obama! [cheering] >> now, we know that we would not be here today where it not for those who stand guard around the world to preserve our freedom. to those in our armed forces, we offer our infinite thanks.

for your bravery, your honor, your sacrifice. >> this democracy of ours was forged by intellect argument, by activism and blood. and, above all, from john adams to elizabeth katie stanton to martin luther king, by a stubborn adherence to the notion that we are all created equal and that we deserve nothing less than had aate republic worthy of our consent. the theme of this year's inaugural is face america's future. the perfect embodiment of this confidence in the ongoing success of our collective

journey is an event from our past. i speak of the inprobable completion of the capitol dome and cappening it with the statue of freedom which occurred 150 years ago in 1863 when abraham lip con took office two years earlier, the dome above us was a half built eyesore, conventional wisdom was that it should be left unfinished until the war ended, given the travails and financial needs of the times. but to president lincoln, the half finished dome symbolized the half divided nation. lincoln said, if people see the capital going on, it is a sign we intend the union shall go on. so despite the conflict which engulfed the nation and jownded the city, the dome continued to rise. on december 2, 1863, the statue of freedom, a woman, was placed

on top of the dome where she still stands today. in a sublime irony it was a former slave, now free american, phillip reed, who helped to cast the bronze statue. our present times are not as despair owing in 1863 but in 2013 far too many doubt the future of our great nation and our ability to tackle our own era's half finished domes. today's problems are infractable they say, the times are so complex, the differences in the country and the world so deep, we will never overcome them. when thoughts like these produce anxiety, fear, and even despair, we do well to remember that americans have always been and still are a practical optimistic problem-solving people, and that, as our history shows, no matter how steep the climb, how

difficult the problems, how half finished the task, america always rises to the occasion. america prevails and america prospers. [cheering] and those who bet against this country have inevitably been on the wrong side of history. so it is a good moment to gaze upward and behold the statue of freedom at the top of the capital dome. it is a good moment to gain strength and courage and humility from those who are determined to complete the half finished dome. it is a good moment to rejoice today at this 57th presidential inaugural ceremony and it is the perfect moment to renew our collective face in the future of america.

thank you and god bless these united states. >> chuck schumer, chairman of the joint committee and gave an unusually detailed speech. now to the invocation. >> the invocation is by merley evers williams. >> to extending the promise of our nation's founding principles to all americans. mrs. evers will lead us in the invocation. >> the farmer chair of the naacp, widow of slain civil rights leader edgar medgar evers 50 years ago this year. >> america, we are here, our nation's capital, on this day, january 21st, 2013, the

inauguration of our 45th president, barack obama, we come at this time to ask blessings upon our leaders, the president, vice president, members of congress, all elected and appointed officials of the united states of america. we are here to ask blessings upon our armed forces; blessings upon all who contribute to the essence of the american spirit, the american dream, the opportunity to become whatever our mankind, womankind allows us to be. this is the promise of america

as we sing the words of belief, this is my country, let us act upon the meaning that everyone is included. may the inherent dignity and inalienable rights of every woman, man, boy and girl be honored. may all your people, especially the least of these, flourish in our blessed nation. 150 years after the emancipation proclamation and 50 years after the march on washington, we celebrate the spirit of our ancestors which has allowed us to move from a nation of unborn hopes and a history of disenfranchised folks to today's expression of a more perfect union. we ask, too, almighty, that

where our paths seem divided by thorns of oppression, and riddled by pangs of despair, we ask for your guidance toward the light of deliverance. and that the vision of those who came before us and dreamed of this day, that we recognize that their visions still inspire us. they are a great cloud of witnesses, unseen by the naked eye, but all around us, thank you for that their living was not in vein. for every mountain, you gave us the strength to climb. your grace is pleaded to continue that climb for america and the world.

we now stand beneath the shadow of the nation's capital whose golden dome reflects a unity and democracy of one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. approximately 4 miles from where we are assembled, the hallowed remains of men and women rest in arlington cemetery. they who believed, fought, and died for this country. may their spirit infuse our being to work together with the respect, enabling us to continue to build this nation, and in so doing, we send a message to the world that we are strong, fierce in our strength and ever-vigilant in our pursuit of freedom.

we ask that you grant our president the will to act courageously but cautiously when confronted with danger, and to act prudently but deliberately when challenged by adversity. please continue to best his efforts, to lead by example, in consideration and favor of the diversity of our people. bless our families all across this nation. we thank you for this opportunity of prior to trendsen us -- to strengthen us through the journey of the days that lie ahead. we invoke the prayers of our grandmothers who taught us to pray, "god, make me a blessing.

let their spirit guide us, as we claim the spirit of old. there's something within me that holds the reigns. there's something within me that banishes pain. there's something within me i cannot explain. but all i know, america, there is something within. there is something within. in jesus' name and the name of all who are holy and right, we pray ." amen. >> amen. [applause] >> widow of civil rights leader medgar evers, quoting from an old gospel something "something

within." >> i am pleased to introduce the award-winning tabernacle choir, the brooklyn tabernacle choir, to sing "battle hymn of the republic. >> chuck schumer smiling because he represented brooklyn for many, many years. ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ his truth is marching on

♪ mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord ♪ ♪ he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored ♪ ♪ he has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword ♪ ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah,

♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ in the beauty of the lilies christ was born across the sea, ♪ with a glory in his bosom, that transfigures you and me, ♪ as he died to make men holy,

let us die to make men free, his truth is marching on ♪ ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ for god is marching on ♪ god is marching on ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah, ♪ glory, glory hallelujah,

♪ his truth is marching on marching on ♪ ♪ his truth is marching on >> may i just say "wow." >> the brooklyn tabernacle choir, consists of 280 members. they recorded three videos, three dvd's. that was an amazing, stirring performance, and you can see it just affected the crowd like a wave.

battle hymn of the republic. >> please join me in wrking my colleague and -- in welcoming my colleague and friend, the senator from tennessee, honorable lamar alexander. [applause] >> lamar alexander the republican on this joint committee overseeing the inaugural ceremonies. >> mr. president, mr. vice president, ladies and gentlemen the late alex haley, the author of "roots" lived his life by these six words: find the good and praise it. today we pray the american tradition of transferring or reaffirming immense power in the inauguration of the president of the united states. we do this in a peaceful, orderly way. there is no mob. no coup. no insur refresh your -- no sin-

this is a moment when all of us will remember. this is a moment that is our most conspicuous and enduring symbol of the american democracy. how remarkable that this has survived for so long in such a complex country, when so much power is at stake. this freedom to vote for our leaders and the restraint to respect the results. last year at mount vernon, a tour guide told me that our first president, george washington, ones posed this question: what is most important, washington asked, of this grand experiment, the united states? and then washington answered his own question in this way: "not the election of the first president but the election of united states second president,

the peaceful transfer of power is what will separate our country from every other country in the world." so today we celebrate the 57th inauguration of the american president, find the good and praise it. now it is my honor to introduce the associate justice of the supreme court, sonya sotomayor for the purpose of administering the oath of office to the vice president. will everyone please stand. >> sonia sotomayor, of course, is 58 years old, the first hispanic on the court and just published her memoir last week "my beloved world." >> mr. vice president, please raise

raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, joseph r. biden, junior, do solemnly swear. that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> against all enemies, foreign and domestic. >> against all enemies, foreign and domestic. >> that i will bare true faith and allegiance to the same. >> that i take this obligation freely. >> that i take this obligation freely. >> without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. >> without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. >> and that i will well and faithfully discharge. >> and that i will well and faithfully discharge. >> the duties of the office on which i am about to enter. >> the duties of the office upon which i am about to enter. >> so help me god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations! [cheering] >> of course this is the second

time, yesterday there were swearings in that were mandated on inauguration day. there's no set person that gets to this this. the vice president and the second lady of the u.s. and his family emblasing him. in 2009 he was sworn in by john paul stephens who was 88 years old at that time. >> gets a hug from the president. and the first lady. >> it is my pleasure to introduce renowned musical artist, james taylor. [applause]

♪ o beautiful for spacious skies ♪ ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪ for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain ♪ ♪ america! america! ♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea!

♪ from sea to shining sea! [applause] >> from the fanfare of the brooklyn choir to the mellow solo guitar, a voice that is, i think, everyone recognized, no matter where it comes, right. >> >> he was awarded the national medal of arts by the president. >> john g. roberts junior who will administer the presidential oath of office. everyone please rise. >> please raise your right hand

and repeat after me. i barack hussein obama do solemnly swear. >> that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states. >> the office of president of the united states. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> preserve, protect and defend. >> preserve, protect and defend. >> the constitution of the united states. >> the constitution of the united states. >> so help you god? >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. [cheering] >> that little stutter made us all gasp for a moment, the last four years ago when there was a little mix up. the difference now is that yesterday he was officially sworn in in a private ceremony also by justice roberts. >> it was the fourth time for the justice as well, right? >> this is the only president other than f.d.r. who has been sworn in four times. >> that's right. and f.d.r. had to win four

elections to do it. >> this is a much simpler way to do it i want to go back to merley evers, and i wonder if you were strublg as i was with the history of that. >> she was calling for a feeling of unity and bringing america together. you get the sense, we hope that the president's speech continues that theme. [cannons firing] ♪ ♪ [cannons firing] >> a 21-georgia salute. nothing >> ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege and distinct honor to introduce the 44th president of the united states of america, barack h. obama.

[cheering] [cheers and applause] >> thank you [crowd chanting "obama, obama"] >> thank you. thank you so much. vice president biden, mr. chief justice, members of the united states congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens, each time we gather to

inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our constitution. we affirm the promise of our democracy. we were called to what binds this nation together as not the colors of our skin or the tenants of our faith, or the origins of our names. what makes us exceptional, what makes us american is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are creat created equal.[ applause] that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable

rights, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words to realities of our time. the patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few. or the rule of a mob, they gave to us a republica government of

and for and by the people. entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed. for more than 200 years we have. through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, no union founded on the liberties of equality can survive. we made ourselves anew and vowed to move forward together. together we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers. together we discovered that a free market only -- and fair play. together we resolve that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life's worst hazards

and misfortunes. through it all we have never relinquished, nor have we succumb to the fiction that all society's ills can be cured through government alone. our celebration of initiatives and enterprise, our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constant in our character. we have always understood that when times change so must we. that fidelity to our funding principles requires new responses to new challenges. our individual requires collective action, the american people can no more meet the demands of today's world by acting alone than american soldiers that met the forces of fascism or communism with

musicales and militias, no single person can train all the math and science teachers we'll need to equip our children for the future or builds the roads and networks and research labs that will bring jobs and businesses to our shores. now, more than ever, we must do these things together as one nation and one people. this generation of americans has been tested by crise, is that steal our resolve and proved our resistance. decade of war is now ending. an economic recovery has begun, america's possibilities are limitless for we possess all the qualities that this world

without boundaries demands. youth and drive, adversity and openness. endless capacity for risk and a gift for re-invention. my fellow americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it as long as we seize it together. for we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well in a growing many barely make it. we believe the prosperity must rest on the pros parrots of the thriving middle class. we know that america thrives when every person can find independence and plied in their work, on the wages of honest labor and liberating families

from the brink of shard ship, we are true to our creed when a little girl born in to the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else because she is an american, she is free and she is equal not just in the eyes of god but also in our own. we must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder and learn more, reach higher. while the means will change, our purpose endures. nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single american. that is what this moment requires, that is what will give

the people, still believe in every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. we must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. but we reject the belief that america must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. [ applause ] for we remember the lessons of our past when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had no where to turn. we do not believe that anyone country freedom is reserved for the lucky or happiness for the few.

we recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. the commitments we make to each other through medicare and medicaid and social security, these things do not -- they strengthen us. they do not make us a nation of takers they free us to take the risks that make this country great. we, the people, still believe that our obligations as americans are not just to ourselves but to all posterity. we will respond to the threat of climate change knowing that the

failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms, the path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. but america cannot resist this transition. we must lead it. we cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries we must claim its promise. that's how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national presence. our crop lands, snow-capped peaks. that is how we will preserve our planet, given to us by god, that

will lead meaning to the creed that our fathers once declared. we, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. our brave men and women in uniform tempered by the flames of battle are unmatched in skill and courage. our citizens feared by the memory of those we have lost know too well the price that is paid for liberty. the knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant agains those who would do us harm. but we are as heirs to those that one the peace and not just the war. who turned sworn enemies in to

the surest of friends, we must carry those lessons in to this time as well. we will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. we will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully not because we are naive about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more due able lift suspicious and fear. american will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every port on the globe. we will renew those institutions that extend or capacity. for no one has greater space in a peaceful world than most powerful nation. we will support democracy from asia to africa. from the americas to the middle east because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom and we must be a source

of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice, not out of mere charity but because our time requires the constant advance of those principles that are common creed described, tolerance and opportunity. human dignity and justice. we, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths that all of us are created equal , is the star that guides us still, just as it guided our forebearers through seneca falls, just alls it guided all those men and women sung and unsung who left footprints along this great mall to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone. to hear a king proclaim that our individual freedom is

inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on earth. [ applause ] it is now our generation's path to carry on what those pioneers began. for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. [applause] our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. [applause] for if we are truly created equal then surely the love we now one another must be equal as well. our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. our journey is not complete

until we find a better tie welcome the thriving, hopeful immigrants who still see america as a land of opportunity, until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. [applause] our journey is not complete until all our children from the streets of detroit to the hills of appalachia to the lands of newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm. that is our generation's task. to make these words, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every american. being true to our founding documents does not require us to

agree on every contour of life. it is not mean we all define liblabber tee the same way. the same path we want. progress does not compel us to settle centuries long debates about the role of government for all time. but it does require us to act in our time. for now decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay. we cannot mistake absolutism for principle. or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name calling as reasoned debate. we must act, we must act knowing that our work will be important,

we must act knowing that today's victories will be only partial. and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years and 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare philadelphia office. my fellow americans, the oath i have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this cabinet, was an oath to god and country, not party or faction, and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. but the words i spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes their dream, my oath is not so different from

the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride, they are the words of citizens and they represent our greatest hope, you and i as citizens have the power to set this country forward. you and i as citizens have the obligation to shape the debate of our time, not only with the votes we cast but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideas. let us each of us now embrace with solemn duty and awesome joy what is our lasting effort. with common effort and purpose and packs and dedication, let us answer the call of history. carry in to an uncertain future the precious light of freedom. thank you, god bless you.

may he forever bless these united states of america. [ applause ] >> ifill: i'm here with david brooks and mark shields we're trying to make sense of the speech. david brooks, he sounded a lot more uplifting than four years ago. >> i thought it was beautiful and effective speech. he touched on the if you want to know strong argument. >> mark, i heard themes of collective action of what's left undone. >> i would say this. there is shorthand that i would apply to the speech it has to be us. not how am i doing, how are we

doing, this is -- >> chuck humiditier is now introducing kelly clarkson, the first winner much the "american idol". >> i think she'll be singing the national anthem. beyonce is doing the national anthem. ♪ ♪ my country tis of thee sweet land of liberty ♪

of thee i sing ♪ land where my father died, land of the pilgrim's pride ♪ from every mountain top ♪ let freedom ring ♪

♪ my father's god to thee ♪ author of liberty ♪ to thee we sing ♪ long may our land be bright ♪ with freedom's holy light ♪ protect us by thy might ♪ great

god our king ♪ >> grammy award winner, 0 years old, kelly clarkson. "my country tis of thee" you don't usually get to hear all three versions. >> i had chance to talk to him, very down to earth, pleasant young man who lives in now the small town of bethel, maine he said conceived in cuba. quick soon came to miami. first latino, first gay poet and youngest ever of the five poets who have read their work at the presidential inauguration.

>> followed robert frost, maya angelo. >> mr. president, mr. vice president, america one today. one sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores, peeking over the smokey, greeting the faces of the great lakes spreading a simple truth across the great plains and charging across the rockies. one light, under each one a story told by our silent gestures moving across windows.

my faith, your faith, millions of faces in morning bearers each one yawning to life, crescendoing in to our day, the penciled yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights, fruit stands, apples, limes and oranges parade like rainbows begging our praise. silver trucks heavy with oil or paper, over highways alongside us on our way to clean tables, read ledgers or save lives, to teach geometry or ring up groceries as my mother did for 20 years so i could write this poem for all of us today.

all of us, as vital as the one light we move through, the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day, equations to solve, history to question or atoms imagine, the i have a dream, we all are dreaming. or the vocabulary of sorrow. the children, and forever many prayers but one light, the color of the stained glass windows, life in to the faces of bronze statues, warmth on to the steps of our museums and park benches as mothers watch children glide through the day. one ground, our ground rooting

us to every stock of corn, every head of corn, hands planning windmills in deserts and hill tops that keep us warm. hands dicking trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands as worn as my father's cutting sugar cane so my brother and i could have books and shoes. the dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains mingled by one wind, our breath. hear it through the day's gorgeous din of honking cabs, buses launching down avenues, the symphony of footsteps and screeching subways. the unex sect song birds on your

clothesline. squeaky playground swings, trains whistling across cafe tables, hear the doors we open each day for each other saying "hello, shalom, bon journo, namest ae" in the language my mother taught me. in every language. spoken in to one wind carrying our lives without prejudice as these words break from my lips. one sky since the appalachian and the plains of majesty and mississippi and colorado works their way to the sea, thank the work of our hands. finishing one more report for

the boss on time, stitching another wound or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait or the last floor on the freedom tower jutting in to the sky that yields to our resilience. one sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes, tired from work, some days guessing at the weather of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love that loves you back. sometimes praising a mother who knew how to give or forgiving a father who couldn't give what you wanted. we head home through the rain and weight of snow or the plum

blush of dusk but always, always home, always under one sky our sky and always one moon like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop and every window of one country, all of us facing the stars, hope a new constellation waiting for us to map it. waiting for us to name it together. [ applause ] >> richard blanco you can go to the "newshour" website for the interview that aired last week. very fascinating fella. >> much of his poetry is narrative of his own experience. there he was trying to tell a narrative of all of us. >> now my privilege to introduce reverend dr. luis leon

to deliver the benediction. >> one little moment of drama leading up to this, he replaced original choice for this a meg church pastor became known for his anti-gay statement. luis leon is pastor here in washington. >> let us pray. gracious and eternal god as we conclude the second inauguration of president obama we ask for your blessings as we seek to become in the words of martin luther king, citizens of a beloved community, loving you and loving our neighbors as ourselves. we pray that you will bless us with your continued presence because without it, arrogance will infect our hearts, but with your blessing we know that we

can break down the walls that separate us. we pray for your blessing today because without it mistrust, prejudice and rancor will rule our hearts. but with the blessing of your presence we know that we can renew the future which can best form our civic life. we pray for your blessing because without it, suspicious, despair and fear of those different from us will be our rule of life. but with your blessing we can see each other created in your image, that unit of god's grace, unprecedented, irrefutable and irreplaceable. we pray for your blessing because without it we will see only what the eye can see, but with the blessing of your blessing we will see that we are

created in your image whether brown, black or white, male or female, first generation immigrant american or daughter of the american revolution, gay or straight, rich or poor. we pray for your blessing because without it we will only see scarcity in the midst of abundance. but with your blessing we will recognize the abundance of the gifts of this good land with which you have endowed this nation. we pray for your blessing, bless all of us, privileged to be citizens and residents of this nation with a spirit of gratitude and humility that we may become a blessing among the nation, this world. we pray that you will shower with your life-giving spirit the

elected leaders of this land, especially barack, our president and joe, our vice president. fill them with the love of truth and righteousness that they may serve this nation abley and be glad to do your will. endow their hearts with wisdom and forbearance so that peace may prevail with righteousness, justice with order so that men and women throughout this nation can find with one another the fulfillment of our humanity. we pray that the president, vice president and all in political authority will remember the words of the prophet mica, what does the lord require of you but to do justice to, love kindness and always walk humbley with god. [speaking spanish]

mr. president, mr. vice president, may god bless you all your day. all this we pray in your most holy name, amen. >> interesting, because both richard blanco and reverend leon of cuban heritage put spanish at the end of the speech. >> we're going to hear the national anthem now from beyonce that's know i don't know say knowles, mega star, mega pop star, maybe the mega star. i would note she's also going to be singing in two weeks at the super bowl. another extraordinary. >> she is the obama girls' favorite part. >> she and her husband jay-z also raised lots of money for the president.

♪ ♪o say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last♪ gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars♪ through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we♪ watched

♪were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare♪ the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night♪ that our flag was still there o say does that star spangled banner yet wave♪ o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave♪

[ cheering and applause ] >> as we have seen many times in the past that is a tough song to nail. beyonce, she found a way to do it today. >> she went off on her own has done quite well. >> now the president is about to go have special lunch and gives us an opportunity to go back talk a little bit about what we have seen in the past hour, still with us are mark shields and david brooks and richard norton-smith and beverly. just want to go around the horn here get a sense of what you thought about that. >> i thought it was remarkable. two quick things.

margaret thatcher famously observed there's no such thing -- for last 30 years or so it feels as if something like that has governed much of our own mol particulars and public life. this was a speech as emphatic as it was eloquent that challenged that notion. other thing, i thought the president made history in another way. he talked about continuity from the relative lack of drama, and second inauguration as opposed to a first. yet i tell you what, when a president says, he talks about the star that guides us still, just as it guided our forebearers through seneca falls and stonewall, the torch may not have been passed but a. >> i feel the same way. i think it was exceptional. i thought because i studied jefferson to see him invoke the declaration of independence, to weave that through the declaration, a full-throat

endorsement of american exceptionalism. very clear that he does. i thought he did very, very well. >> i'm just curious to watch the president as he leaves and shacks hands with some of his toughest critics in the house and senate on his way out. obviously not really anxious to get anywhere. he's kind of lingering. >> why not. he has -- >> he's taking in the moment. that's remarkable to watch. you don't see them turn around and say, i don't know when i'll see this again. >> he won't see it again. >> yes, he does seem happy and relaxed and open really this time around. i would agree i found this enormously moving and a real affirmation of what i think obama in many people's minds does stand for which is this inclusive idea of what america is. and what it's become. i'm not sure that i agree with david that i found it a ringing endorsement of collective

liberalism. i think it was actually a pretty safe speech in ideological terms. you look back at someone like ronald reagan or look at franklin roosevelt, you have much more kind of explicit ideological statements about government and what it is. actually the speech that it reminded me -- the most of was woodrow wilson inauguration in 1913. we are celebrating that anniversary as well, the 100th anniversary. in part because the issues are similar, climbed change now, environmental issues and taxation in banking. but the idea that people can't do certain things on their own and we need to come together. >> david? >> let me defend myself. let me attack richard. margaret thatcher gets a bad rap for that. that was -- >> that was -- >> i've always thought she got a bad rap. of who is paying tax bills that

speech was first on liberalism i do think it was the most unapologetically liberal speech we've heard barack obama give. it was tracing american history saying that he faced to our ideals we have to change and we have to change in a collective direction. we have to guarantee equal income for women for the same work, he mentioned gay rights, mentioned climate change, he mentioned preserving medicare social security. i thought it was pretty much laying down quite liberal agenda, there was none of the bipartisan, transpartisan stuff of the first speech. and there was none of what you would call conservative speech. there was very little when he talked about story of american history it was the story of seneca, thelma, stonewall. not the story of inventors, capitalism. that was -- that's different. >> that makes it liberal? >> i think so. these are two different areas people tend to emphasize. it was less about cap stallism or hard choices, i don't think there was a mention of terrorism. so i think it was a pretty

forthrightly progressive speech. >> mark shields? >> i'd like to come down squarely on the side of my colleague in this. that the president pleaded for unity, like cats and dogs. i think talking about a liberal speech, fdr's second inaugural was -- the voices of selfishness and greed. met their match in the first administration, let it be said in the second they met their master. that was real tough stuff. this was, i thought, very much a "we" speech as i said earlier. that's important. that we're in it together. all part of it. we have to measure what we do in the least among us that we have responsibility to each other, that we had to act together. that to me what came through rather than heroic narrative of

the single individual standing up. i think it was a different barack obama. i don't see it as liberal. i see it as humanitarian. >> what we're looking at here we watch people leaving the mall, we know that four years ago there was 1.8 million people. this year we haven't heard latest numbers, the estimate was that it was between five and 700,000 people which it should be said stillthere is secretarye nominee, current senator from massachusetts john kerry. >> we're told that the president will soon sign the nominations. within a few minutes, i believe. john kerry and others. >> and jack lew about to become secretary of the treasury. rand cia chief as well as --

>> chuck hagel. >> you wanted to jump in? >> i guess i could come down in the middle of all of you. i agree with everyone. i think it was liberal speech as well. we talked about fdr all these things have to be seen in context. certainly barack obama is coming to the perhaps end of the reagan revolution compared to what we have had in the past. it was ringing endorsement. selectivism in a way takes on the notion of the takers, that whole idea very ideological. >> what else did you hear that was -- you were talking about thomas jefferson, what other reference did you hear? >> references to lincoln, he uses the declaration -- lincoln's appropriation of the declaration to talk about how we as a nation have to come

together. i was very struck by this notion of unionism. these united states of america, not america's one nation but the notion that people coming together and by doing all of those kinds of things i think he is forcing this issue. >> actually looking at jay-z and paul ryan. beyonce and paul, just don't get this together. only in america. >> i want to ask you guys a little bit about the idea of a political speech or policy speech, i heard it, too, when he talked about that we cannot mistake absolutism for principle, it seemed like he was speaking to house republican, am i right? >> as i said he went after them on the takers, the absolutism made the point we have to act now. >> amazing shot there in the rotunda of the capital. thank you very much, mark, as they head in to do ceremonial work and signing, the president and vice president. i'm sorry, david.

>> i was just saying he will have discussion now in the country. i think it's good. i think he's learned and frankly over the four years he taking by force of personality he could be a transcending force. he's learned he can't be. he's picked a team, that team is innate to him and he's made i thought an extremely eloquent speech for that side. so i think could in some way an opening for a more honest discussion about what the country should be. >> anyone surprised by the specific things he brought up, he mentioned climate change, mentioned tax reform, it was a small -- not a big laundry list but a small list. >> he addressed a generational side, we're not going to sacrifice or surrender our responsibility of the generation made this country on the altar of getting the generation. we as americans can do both.

>> talking about the generation. >> that we have responsibility to those who made the country and those that will make the next counsel tree that will be america, whether it's education or training or whatever else. i just wanted to give just shout out to the brooklyn tabernacle choir. which i thought was just phenomenal. also lamar alexander, which was really exceptional and the -- not that the others weren't fine but they were. i thought the poet was great. >> that gives us an opportunity to speak more broadly about the ceremony it wasn't just the speech. the speech is at the heart of it, we can come back to that. we'll watch the president, vice president, go in to a room in the capital which they're going to sign the four nominations to the people he has mentioned that he is going to nominate for cabinet. let's see if we can listen in.

>> he's going right to work now. >> lamar alexander, chuck schumer, vice president biden. house speaker boehner. eric cantor and nancy pelosi.

>> ronald reagan established the tradition of going right to sign these kinds of documents for nominations. >> thank you very much, everybody. >> thank you. [ applause ] >> at a time when we know that washington is divided by one of the -- president made in his speeches that victories are only part for consection for big optimistic day. you were going to say something before we went -- >> i thought that the tone -- were having debate, selective, not selective, i think there is one very important thing that he seems to be signalling which is that this really was not a

speech to washington at all. it was a speech about bringing the american people together, and a lot of people criticized obama in his first term for kind of being this great community organizer, running this fantastic popular campaign in 2008 then retreating in to washington really, closing up the doors and not taking advantage of that not building popular support for his policies. i do think we're seeing, this is something that franklin roosevelt was really a genius at. he said, okay, you want me to do this thing, can out there, organize and force me to do it. >> richard, what about going to gwen's question of the whole event. not just the address but everything we saw. >> well, i heard people say, why do we have a second inaugural. or such big -- why do we spend all this money, why do we go through this every four years. that choir is the best answer

that i can think of. that's why you have inauguration. this was a re-affirmation. in a country that desperately needs to re-affirm it's commonality. it's shared value, it's shared aspirations and that's what today is all about. it may seem artificial and tomorrow they will go back to fighting among themselves, which is all the more reason why we need to do it four years from now all over again. >> one of the things i found most striking you mentioned the choir, the choir was just another example looking at the crowd, looking who was on the podium, who was chosen to participate, the word diversity has been devalued these days, it seemed like they kept coming around back to that theme in every single word even lamar alexander had to say, republicans, they were all agreed. very passing references to things like foreign policy. >> even when he talks about

that people feeling the latch linking it to say direct reference to slavery and understanding that. he talks about the declaration, not everybody was a part of that. this was about bringing everybody in to that. he's making it sound normal, that this is not something that we should quibble about, it was there all along and this is about making it real. >> that was actually -- the blood draw by the sword is ref wren to lincoln. and the choir, the thing that struck me is the lyrics, he died to make men holy. he change it in modern times to let us make men free. >> this is resolution. i don't know, he probably didn't dona. all of this together this is about -- >> one of the moments when johnf kennedy didn't wear a top hat that was considered this revolutionary changea social change. now we have a total revolution

in how we see ourselves. >> i just think that the references to lincoln, to martin luther king, were not very overt. they were -- even reference to martin luther king came in one line, not even saying his name, the king. >> echo. >> could have been very over-determined speech. the theme that they pick the out they were going to be more overt references to civil war, to king's speech. but they were very subtle. >> just two things. we talked about what the inaugural is and just lamar alexander, he had been a presidential candidate himself came within eyelash if he had won new hampshire. >> many people on that podium, yes. >> you mentioned he had been governor of tennessee, president of the university. he spoke about our most conspicuous enduring symbol. the restraint to to get result,

quoting washington. that was particularly good. and i thought blanco was terrific. he brought the togetherness, the unity of it so well. the sun and moon and sky that we all share. i thought the whole event worked very well and chuck schumer brought sort of a world wrestling enthusiasm. >> brooklyn. >> only time you see lamar alexander quoting from -- >> his state pride there. >> i want to bring this back to some of the thing in the speech. we know this is we're seeing -- we're not seeing it, we could see the view from the congressional luncheon that bill and hillary clinton greeting john lewis, congressman from georgia and others as they begin to file in for this luncheon, a

familiar -- talking to senator shelby right now. a familiar view. but i'm also interested, white house let it be known before this that this is not going to be a state of the union speech. that happens in february. they aren't going in to great detail but he did mention quite a fair amount, david, of policy issues. talked about climate change along with health care, he talked about the deficit in passing, medicare and medicaid. you have to do that, maybe as second termer? >> i was struck how much climate change, he did have immigration, i was struck i'm not sure there is policy implications by familiar sis on gay rights. you think where the country was ten years ago, where barack obama was three years ago. so that's quite a departure. but i do think the climate change and mention of the word equality, seven mentions of the word equality. that's about building middle class wages.

so that was implicit in a lot of the speeches. >> it is fascinating, that president obama, people of the united states that the issues he talked about, quality of wages, full gay rights and same-sex marriage have really come so far. they are so much less controversial than they were four years ago. i think one line that i think captured the speech was, my fellow americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it and we do it together. trying to capsulate what he said, i think that to me was -- >> looking out going secretary, secretary of treasurer timothy geithner. i'm curious what mark said about expectations for moments like this, not only for the speech but for this moment. this recalibration of our american trajectory. am i overstating that?

>> probably. i got caught up in it. >> a little bit like oscar night. too much anticipation -- you don't really remember -- >> what are your expectations -- >> the president knows that -- i thought it was curiously pugnatious speech in some ways. you know, it was almost a challenge. in some ways challenge to his fellow liberals. for a long time liberal has been a word that people run away from in this country. maybe they use progressive as a substitute. but clearly it was a challenge to the republicans who control the house and who have controlled much of the debate. >> i think one of the things we were talking about code before, i think one of the things that's

interesting this goes back to what annette was saying as well, that it was this real embrace of american exceptionalism to say, something special about the nighted states. that is a signal in this whole debate oop that's going about, is america in decline. look at bill clinton's inaugural he said, well, maybe -- we have to constrain our ambition, that was really his message in the '90s. this is a moree pan sieve vision than that, in ab attempt to be on the side of america. >> is it more that kind of tone rather than specific lines that you think will be remembered? >> i think the tone will be remembered. it depends on how he latches his policy on to what he's saying here. he's going to talk about gun control, he's going to talk about immigration reform then we'll have chance to see if everybody is going to follow along. we can do all of this. i wonder what people -- i know what people in the world any about that when americans go on and on how we are this special

place that, the hope of the world. but all of this will depend on what he actually does. melding the policy through the words. >> mark and david? >> he did say as well, that he respected other nations and their democratic decisions which is a matter some of controversy at this point in certain quarters. and talked about engaging, that coverage -- courage to engage as owe positivessed to confront. i think -- as opposed to confront. people still accuse him of being a socialist, but i don't think they can call him a european social list. >> he's an american socialist. 190s movement. >> we have few more moments your final thoughts? >> it was a good speech. i thought frankly i thought last couple big speeches from him, the convention speech, even first inaugural were a bit of a let down. i don't think this was a let down. i think this was a very good and

very eloquent summation of what he believes and gets us off on a good start for debate. >> your final thoughts? >> i agree. i think it's a different theme that he is sounding, i come back to the -- that's important. be interested to see where it go with state of the union. >> as the day goes along there is going to be a big parade down pennsylvania avenue we'll have bands and -- >> the pomp continues. >> and ceremony. but next stop is congressional lunch which will be at the national hall right by the capitol there hosted by the joint committee. you have to go online find some wonderful recipes of what they will be serving. we're about to watch some of that, we're looking now at out going secretary of defense, leon panetta talking to diane feinstein. and with that, we will now enter special coverage of the second

inauguration of president barack obama and joe biden. >> i'm jeffrey brown our coverage of tonight's and tonight's festivities continues online we'll see you here tonight at our regular "newshour" time. we leave you with the repries of the the brooklyn tabernacle choir and their rendition of the battle him of republic. have a good afternoon. ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah since i laid my burden down. ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on ♪

his truth is marching on ♪ >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

♪ do you believe ♪ do you believe in miracles ♪ together we can change ♪ the world ♪ do you believe ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ mmm-mmm-mmm ♪ you ought to believe >> [martin] hello, i'm roland martin. welcome to "believe: the "barack obama story." in the nation's capitol, presidents leaving a mark on history are honored with monuments, memorials, and statues. however, many in this nation and around the world did not believe in the ideal that any american from any background could realistically aspire to become president of the united states. but in the unforgettable election of 2008, barack obama

was able to overcome all of these doubts and make history, becoming the 44th president of the united states. >> [obama] i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear and will to the best of my ability-- >> [roberts] preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the united states. >> preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the united states. >> so help you god? so help me god. congratulations, mr. president. thank you, sir. all the best wishes. >> we are proud to present "believe: the barack obama "story." the story of barack obama has many destinations along the way to the white house, but it all begins in hawaii, 2,000 miles from the mainland, the 50th and last state to join the united states of america. hawaii is one of the most multiracial, multiethnic, and

multicultural places on earth, with a long history of tolerance and respect for diversity. >> i was raised in a number of different places. uh, hawaii was one place, which is where my parents were. and my father was from kenya. my mother was from kansas. they met in the-- at the university of hawaii where they were both studying. >> in the late summer of 1959, a promising foreign exchange student from kenya arrived in honolulu to attend graduate school at the university of hawaii. he made quite an impression on one of his grad school friends, neil abercrombie, now a veteran member of congress from hawaii. >> [abercrombie] he just lit up every room, every place that he-that he came to. he was an incandescent person. but he-he took command over everything. he had an opinion on everything. it didn't-- it wasn't off-putting in any way because he was so fully of energy. he was full of life. he could interact with everybody because it never occurred to him that he couldn't. of course, we ended up, uh, mostly in social circumstances, uh, drinking beer, eating pizza, listening to jazz, and

pontificating to one another, and he was right in the center of it. at, uh, one of these, uh, gatherings, barack, uh, brought, uh, ann dunham in. she is, uh, was scarcely out of high school. i believe she was about 18 then-- might've been 19. she fit in right away with the very eclectic group of students and graduate students. she observed, i would say, more than spoke. but, uh, that also had to do with her character, her personality. she was much more reserved than, uh, barack senior was. >> [dewey] she was one of the hardest working people i've ever met. she seemed to effortlessly get an enormous amount of work done. um, never-- but never seemed hurried or flustered. she was just outstanding as a student and as a person. and i think this is the way barry grew up, knowing you had to work and help people. >> i don't recall whether there was ever an announcement that they were going to be married, but then they appeared one day, and they were married. uh, i think they had gone to maui to, uh, to-to get married

and had a-a brief honeymoon. uh, they were students after all. i remember, after he was born, of course, here was this, uh, beautiful baby. he was a beautiful child. barack was-was quite proud. his father left soon after his birth for, uh, the mainland to go to school, to continue his studies. and at that point, it-it became clear that ann would not accompany him. she and barack junior would stay behind. he was a calm child, always had a smile on his face, playful, and-and joyful. he was truly and deeply loved by his, uh, grandmother and his grandfather, and his grandfather went everywhere with him. there is no doubt that his father may have been absent, but there was a-a-a male figure in his life in his grandfather that, uh, i think, uh, helped to give him the kind of character that he has today. his grandmother is a remarkable story, a remarkable woman, one who set very, very high standards.

she was very persevering, very, very smart, very, very tough. she was, uh, seen as a standard bearer for-for women at the time. >> when barack obama, junior was six years old, his mother married another foreign student, lolo soetoro, who moved the family to his homeland of indonesia, where obama's sister, maya, was born. while there, he made friends at school and learned to appreciate indonesian culture but struggled with the language. his mother woke him at 4:00 a.m. each morning, which gave him the foundation for his future academic success. after three and a half years, obama's mother decided to send him back to hawaii for a better education opportunity at an elite prep academy. >> [yanagi] i met barry on the first day of fifth grade. he was somebody who always had a very big personality. he was always smiling. he was somebody that everybody liked and everybody responded to. even in fifth and sixth grade, um, you could tell that he

was a special person. >> [kasunoki] i had him from, uh, september of '75 until he graduated in june of '79, so that was freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year. he was very articulate. he spoke well. he wrote well. he never got in trouble, not that i recall. he never got any interims. he was, uh, very polite. people were sort of gravitated towards him. he was very charismatic then. people have asked me, "did you "ever think he'd be president?" uh, no, but i knew he would be successful. >> during his high school years, barack obama developed a lifelong passion for playing the game of basketball as a proud member of the punahou varsity basketball team that won a state championship in his senior year. >> [hale] i best got to know him when we were playing grade school basketball. he could-he could bring it. uh, but, you know, it was always within the game. and to see him rise to such heights is just-- it's been amazing. but it's not something that i would say-i would say that, you know, "wow, i-i never "thought he was capable

"of that." he definitely was capable of that. he had a intellect and-and, uh, just a worldliness, uh, that, you know, really stuck out, and-and just his engaging personality would just make you feel very welcome. >> barack obama graduated from high school in 1979, and he was now ready to leave the island home that shaped his core values. >> he is the american dream. what he was able to do, and what his family sacrificed, it just really shows that-that things are possible. and it's not just, you know, saying, "you can be anything "you want," but really seeing somebody achieve that. if you were gonna bet on somebody from that just by their bio, he would've been somebody that you probably would've overlooked, but what you would've overlooked is his heart and his character, and that's what we saw back then. that's what i see now. >> with his mom's encouragement and carrying her pioneering spirit, barack obama decided to attend college on the mainland, enrolling at occidental college in los angeles for two years, and later transferring to

columbia university in new york city, a prestigious ivy league institution. there, he developed more self-discipline and concentrated intensely on his studies, pursuing his strong interest in politics and international affairs. he graduated with honors in 1983. after college graduation, barack obama headed to chicago to become a community organizer, saying he wanted to organize folks at the grass roots for change. chicago was at the forefront of black politics in america, the home base of many african american leaders. as director of a "developing communities" project, obama worked in low income areas in the heart of chicago's south side. >> the african american community in chicago is a wonderful community. there's a very strong tradition of a black business community, that is vibrant and working hard and they've been extraordinarily helpful to me. >> [love] when i first met barack obama about 23 years ago, he had just been hired as a community organizer for the "developing communities"

project. barack came into our meetings one by one, he sat down with every pastor individually, and then barack would ask us "what do you think is important? how do you see the issues?" and he would listen. and then he would pull all of us together, and we would, each of us, express our ideas and our opinions, and quite literally, he would just write them down on a blackboard, and say, "now which one of "these can we most agree on?" >> it was a wonderful opportunity for me. i had a great education working with church groups, unions, and we set up job-training programs and after-school programs for youth, and as a consequence, i really, i think, uh, grew up, and became a man in that work. i also learned that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they're given an opportunity. so ever since that time, not only have i been interested in public service, but i've always been interested in, "how do we bring more people "into the process? and get them "more involved?" >> [jealous] when obama started out as a community organizer,

first thing that you're taught is that before you can lead, you have to actually listen. that the secret to being able to lead and inspire large numbers of people is to know what they need changed in their life. it's a very powerful skill for the most powerful person in the world to have, and it's what makes him different from so many others. >> barack was able to, uh, get a jobs training center, established in the heart of the economic district, and so those who had lost jobs in steel mills could be re-trained, uh and then sent back into the market place to fill the available jobs. >> [morial] if you work in communities, you learn about people. you learn not only what their real problems are, but you also learn about how to bring them together to accomplish an aim. what being a community organizer, i think also teaches people is how to do a lot with a little. >> i know that my commitments to the community in terms of jobs,

and health care, education, uh, those are commitments that have been a constant. the ebb and flow of attention or press is something that, uh, is nice, but it's not something that i count on. be strong and have courage and we can face our doubts and fears! in the face of our cynicism, in the face of our skepticism, in the face of a mighty river, be strong and have courage, and let us cross over that promise land together! thank you so much! thank you! >> believing he could do more for his community by continuing his higher education, barack obama entered the prestigious harvard law school in 1988. >> [davis] the first time i saw barack obama that made an indelible impression on me, i decided to go on from harvard college, harvard law school myself. and in september, 1990, barack obama was one of the orientation speakers at harvard law school. >> [harper] barack and i first met at harvard law school. the funny thing about harvard law school is that the library is full, but the gym

is empty. and i was playing basketball, and in walked this tall, skinny guy, named barack obama. for the next three years, we virtually played ball all the time, at harvard law school, the basketball gym is right next to harvard law review. when he had a little respite or opportunity, he'd go over to the gym. i looked up to him, not just because he's taller than i am, but also because he had been out in the work force for five years. he'd already been doing public service. he was someone that was in graduate school that knew why he was there. >> in his second year, he received national media attention of becoming the first african american president of the harvard law review. >> he was the best. the best student, the best in terms of scholarship, and the best in terms of his ability to rally other after his years at harvard law school, graduating magna cum laude, barack obama was among the very best and most sought-after law school graduates in the country. he received a book contract

to write his memoir, "dreams from my father." when he got back from chicago, barack obama met the future love of his life, a southside chicago native. michelle robinson. she was his mentor at corporate law firm, where he worked as a summer associate during law school. although he was not interested in corporate law, barack was very interested in michelle. after refusing to go out with him for a month, michelle finally agreed to go out for dinner. and they soon fell in love. in october of 1992, barack and michelle were wed by reverend jeremiah wright, at the trinity united church of christ. his daughter malia was born in 1998, and sasha was born in 2001. >> [michelle] we grew up in a little bitty apartment, on the south side of chicago. my father had a severe disability, you know, no silver spoons, no magic. just parents who tried their best to give the next generation something a little bit more. we were taught that we have to work hard! and then give back. you know, we have an obligation to help others. you know,

so much of who i am, uh, is grounded in that upbringing. when i connected with barack, and realized i could marry this man, it was because i saw the same in his upbringing that i saw in mine. and i got married to a person that i respected, and we worked hard to raise a good family, uh, and teach them good values, and we built our lives around service and giving back and forgoing big salaries. >> [norment] in 2007, february, "ebony" featured michelle and barack obama on our february issue, which is our "black love, black history" annual issue. and uh, really the most popular issue during the year, and that year we had enough for us to feel like michelle and barack were the perfect couple to personify black love. >> we learned how to sustain our relationship at a distance, which is why carving out that time. making sure we have friday

or saturday date nights, and making sure that it's not just going to a movie, cause you can't talk at a movie rolling. we usually go out to dinner, and what i found, which is interesting, um, is that our girls like it. they like the fact that they know that we love each other. >> they see intimacy. >> that gives them security. so sometimes you lose sight of that when you think "well, as long as "we're taking care of the "kids-- well, the kids are "okay." well, the kids want you to have a life together. they want to know that my mother and father love each other, and if they love each other that much, they're going to love me. people are relieved to see themselves reflected in us. our family story, um, me, barack, our girls, uh, is comforting to many people. >> [clay] once i started to see, see the two little girls, uh, in the picture, i realized that look, this is a first family, uh, that america truly deserves.

>> after settling into married life, barack obama believed he was ready to serve his community as a political leader. during barack obama's early years, the illinois state senate, republicans dominated the state legislature, and as a democrat, he became frustrated in his limited role. >> [jones] well, i had suggested when you first came to illinois senate, if you want to be successful in this body, get to know people who don't look like you, or come from a different region of the state. and he did that quite well in the illinois senate. >> in the year 2000, he made the fateful decision to run for the us congressional seat, held by long time popular incumbent, bobby rush. the focus of a tough campaign, he was attacked as an outsider and an elitist from an upscale neighborhood. >> barack was running against bobby rush, who is an authentic hero of the civil rights story in this country. >> [mikva] when senator obama told me that he was planning to run for congress, against bobby rush, i did point out that running against an incumbent congressman is never easy.

>> [rush] i found out, you know, the president barack had decided to run against me. and so we decided that we were uh, going to teach the young man a real lesson. uh, and we did. >> in democrat primary election, barack obama lost badly, by a two to one margin. however, the valuable lessons learned from that defeat would serve him very well in his future run in politics. >> when barack obama lost his race for congress, he was very discouraged. and he was giving serious thought to leaving politics. >> you'd say he learned a lot from that race. you know, and that's good. because i think that, you know, i had to learn how to win by first losing. >> after suffering a major setback in the 2000 congressional race against bobby rush, barack obama was not sure about his future in politics. >> i remember they said to me, "i'm not going to do

"the congressional race again. "but i'm really looking at "running for the us senate "in 2004." >> we first started running, people were certain that i could not win a state-wide race, because my name was too funny, people couldn't pronounce it, uh, it looked like "osama." but i always had this faith in the voters. in people and my attitude was, you know what? if people get to know me, if they know who i am, if i know that i've got a set of shared values with them, it's not going to make a difference. we won fifty percent of the vote in a seven person field. i mean, we won not just the black vote, we won the white vote. fairly handily. >> following his impressive primary win, democratic presidential nominee john kerry took note, and invited obama to give the keynote address at the 2004 democratic national convention in boston. >> there is not a liberal america and a conservative america, there is the united states of america! there is not a black america and a white america, a latino america, an asian america, there's

the united states of america! america, tonight, if you feel the same energy that i do, if you feel the same urgency that i do, if you feel the same passion that i do, if you feel the same hopefulness that i do, if we do what we must do, then i have no doubt that all across the country, from florida to oregon, from washington to maine, the people will rise up and this country will reclaim it's promise and out of this long political darkness, a brighter day will come. thank you very much everybody! >> on a frigid day in february 2007, in springfield illinois, barack obama announced his candidacy for president of the united states. >> i stand before you today, to announce my candidacy for president of the united states of america! >> [clyburn] well the primary election was, uh, sort of interesting. um, uh, you knew,

uh, from the very beginning, uh, that it was going to be historical. you had, um, an african american running, uh, that seemed to be a little bit different from african americans who had run before. you had a woman running that seemed a little bit different from the women who had run before. and so the conventional wisdom was that, uh, this was going to be a change election. >> look, i'm not running because of long-held ambitions, i'm not running because i think it's my turn. i'm running because of what dr. king called, "the fierce urgency of now." "the fierce urgency of now." >> throughout that year, the obama campaign assembled a nationwide network of dedicated volunteers, and they broke fundraising records by mastering the internet. early on obama trailed senator

hillary clinton by large margins in national polls, and struggled against doubts and criticism. >> early on, supporting senator obama was a somewhat lonely position within the democratic caucus. it was a lonely position within the congressional black caucus. it will probably shock our children, uh and future scholars that the congressional black caucus lagged in support for the first black president of the united states. >> but obama believed that america was ready to support him, as the embodiment of a message of hope, unity, and change. especially young people, of all races and backgrounds, who were his most enthusiastic supporters from the beginning. >> thank you! what up? what up? what's been so inspiring is not just the size of the crowds, but it's something elijah referred to, it's the makeup of the crowds! because it's people from all walks of life! you've got candidates who say, well, i know how to "play the game" in washington better! but i've got to explain to them,

i'm running because i'm going to put an end to the game playing! because the times are too serious! and the stakes are too high! we need something new! and that's the reason that i am running for the presidency of the united states of america! >> young volunteers and activists played a key role in the iowa caucus, the first real test of the campaign. >> all the hawk eyes who are here, thank you! >> barack obama amazed the political world by winning the iowa caucus in a state that's ninety-five percent white. after that, he silenced many doubters who had to reassess all their previous assumptions about whether america was ready for change. >> [rogers] there was a strategy that was put in place to compete against hillary clinton and the clinton juggernaut. and it was all revolving around iowa. and one of the things i give barack real credit for was during the toughest of

times, when it didn't look like we were maybe gonna win, we were falling behind in the polls, barack helped us stay the course, and made all of us believe that the strategy he had put in place was the right one. and it's so easy, when things aren't going well, to get distracted, and get pushed off course. he didn't do that. he kept us really focused on the iowa strategy, his team stayed focused on that iowa strategy, and ultimately that prevailed. and that was the key to you know, beating this powerful, uh, political competitor. you know, the clinton family. >> after iowa, when he got all those white votes, then you start hearing people say, "well, "can he win black votes in south "carolina and other places?" there, where the black vote would be very, very important. he came into south carolina, uh, with that question mark hanging over his candidacy. and of course, he was emphatically answered. >> once the primary seasons started, uh, then those who were not with barack started

to realize that, uh, their districts were trending overwhelmingly for barack obama to be the president, and being elected officials and politicians as we are, uh they began to realize that perhaps they had picked wrong. >> i just knew after south carolina that he should be on a ticket. it was only after north carolina, when he ran away with the field, that's when i knew he was going to be the nominee of our party. ♪ we support barack ♪ obama stand and rock it ♪ all night long ♪ we need to vote barack ♪ obama baracking 'til ♪ our troops come home ♪ barack ooh obama >> with profound gratitude, and great humility, i accept your nomination for presidency of the

united states! this moment! this election! is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the american promise alive! i realize that i'm not the likeliest candidate for this office. i don't fit the typical pedigree. and i haven't spent my career in the halls of washington. but i stand before you tonight because all across america, something is stirring. what the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. it's about you! forty-five years ago today, brought americans from every

corner of this land to stand together on a mall in washington, before lincoln's memorial, and hear a young preacher from georgia speak of his dream! at this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future! thank you! god bless you! and god bless the united states of america! > you loe campaign barack has run there's a level of organization, passion, and commitment from

staff volunteers on down. clearly barack's a senate seat represents that if you follow your heart, your passion, your intuition and you still-still operate on a level of excellence that's unparallel, anything can happen. >> they're at least a couple of things that people can take away from watching me run this campaign. uh, number one, i'm a pretty good manager. we had to start this organization from scratch, competing against organizations that had been built 20 years ago. uh, and i think it's fair to say that on most of the indicators how we've raised money, how we've spent money, how we built an organization. uh, how we've staffed, uh, that we've probably had the best managed champaign, uh, in either the republican or democratic field. we've really built a bottom up organization. our strength has been that we raise our money in $25 and $50

dollar donations from over a million donors, uh, using the internet as a way to-to, uh, uh, organize across the country. our organizations have built- been built through volunteers. and they're constantly giving us messages and ideas and, uh, that kind of, uh, faith in ordinary people and their ability to... make a difference and have an impact on government. it is a principle that i think i wanna, uh, continue when i'm in the white house. >> [jackson] barack is a very capable man. he's smart. he has integrity. he's passionate and he's tough. you've seen in this campaign he has grown. everyday he just gets stronger. he's a long distance runner. >> [warner] let's bring him out right now. the next president of the united states, barack obama.

[crowd cheering wildly] >> [crowd chanting] yes, we can! yes, we can! yes, we can! yes, we can! yes, we can! >> let me-- >> yes, we can! >> let me start by noting, virginia, that this is our last rally. this is the last rally of a campaign that began nearly two years ago. we've gone to every corner of this country. you shared your stories of struggle. you've spoken of your dreams. in the places i've gone and the people i've met i've been struck again and again by the fundamental decency and generosity and

dignity of men and women who work hard without complaint to meet their responsibilities everyday. i've come away with an unyielding belief... that if we only had a government that was as responsible as all of you, as compassionate as the american people, then there's no obstacle we can't overcome. there's no destiny we cannot fulfill. so, virginia, i just have one word for you, just one word: tomorrow. tomorrow. after decades of broken politics in washington, eight years of failed policies from george bush, 21 months of campaigning, we are less than one day away from bringing about change in america.

so i just got one question for ya, virginia. are you fired up? are you ready to go? fired up? >> [crowd] fired up! >> ready to go? >> [crowd] ready to go! >> fired up? >> [crowd] fired up! >> ready to go? >> [crowd] ready to go! >> fired up? >> [crowd] fired up! >> ready to go? >> [crowd] ready to go! >> virginia, let's go change the world. thank you. god bless you and god bless the united states of america. ♪ we've got to learn ♪ to come together ♪ and make a change ♪ oh now's the time ♪ to take action ♪ get control of our world ♪ we can make it happen

>> after eight years of george w. bush, looking at john mccain there was no way in the world democrats are going to not unite behind obama. >> we will always, always remember where we were when barack obama became president of united states. >> [newscaster] look at this crowd. this is the best of american patriotism. >> [rallygoer] my grandmother is 96 years old and she never would have thought it. my mother is 67 years old. and she said in her lifetime she never thought it would happen. >> if there is anyone out there who still doubts that america's

a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. it's been a long time coming. but tonight because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to america. this is our moment. this is our time to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids, to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace, to reclaim the american dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many we are one, that while we breath, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism and doubt

and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people, yes we can. thank you. god bless you and may god bless the united states of america. ♪ but we are strong ♪ we'll carry on ♪ can't you see ♪ can't you see ♪ just hold on ♪ sing along ♪ thankfully ♪ do you believe in happiness ♪ i am here to make you see ♪ love is here for you and me ♪ do you believe in miracles ♪ together we can ♪ change the world

♪ desperate measures ♪ troubled times ♪ a hero takes the fall ♪ he will win ♪ the hearts of man ♪ backs against the wall ♪ but we are strong ♪ we'll carry on ♪ can't you see ♪ can't you see ♪ just hold on ♪ sing along ♪ thankfully ♪ do you believe in miracles ♪ i am here to make you see ♪ love is here for you and me ♪ do you believe in happiness [crowd chanting] obama!

obama! obama! obama! obama! ♪ do you believe in miracles? ♪ together we can ♪ change the world [crowd singing and chanting] na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey, hey, hey goodbye. obama! obama! obama! obama! obama! obama! obama! obama! obama! obama! obama! obama! yes, we can! yes, we can! yes, we can! yes, we can!

obama! obama! obama! obama! ♪ do you believe ♪ believe in miracles yeah ♪ do you believe ♪ do you believe in miracles ♪ i am here to make you see ♪ love is here for you and me ♪ ♪ do you believe in miracles ♪ together we can ♪ change the world >> what an exciting and historic day in january 2009. barack obama was sworn in as the 44th president of

the united states. millions attended and billions watched the inauguration of president obama. it was a day filled with inspiration, emotion, and hope for a better future for america and the world. >> [newscaster] i just wonder, i just wonder exactly what hit his mind when he hit that threshold. the flags waving, the roar, i mean, you know the-that just that moment had to be just, you know, amazing view for him. >> [franklin] ♪ my country 'tis of thee ♪ sweet land of liberty ♪ of thee i sing ♪ land where my father died ♪ land of the pilgrim's pride

♪ from every every ♪ mountainside let ♪ free freedom freedom ring >> my fellow citizens, i stand here today... humbled by the task before us. grateful for the trust you've bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices born by our ancestors. every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds, and raging storms. at these moments america has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people,

have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. so it has been, so it must be with this generation of americans. >> [feinstein] here on the national mall where we remember the founders of our nation and those who fought to make it free. we gather to etch another line in the solid stone of history. >> [lowery] shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand, true to thee, oh god, and true to our native land. we pray now, oh lord, for your blessing upon thy servant barack obama the 44th president of these united states, his family, and his administration.

>> today i say to you that the challenges we face are real. they are serious and they are many. they will not be met easily, or in a short span of time. but know this, america, they will be met. on this day we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose, over conflict and discord. on this day we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations, and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. we remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture the time has come to set aside childish things. the time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit,

to choose our better history, to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation, to generation. the god given promise that all are equal. all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. [drumline] >> [newscaster] he is truly, i think the first american president, in i don't know how long, who truly has, on the first day he comes in,

international standings. uh, obviously michelle obama, that must be a seriously warm outfit. >> starting today we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking america. let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end. that we did not turn back, nor did we falter. and with eyes fixed on the horizon and god's grace upon us we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. thank you. god bless you and god bless the united states of america.

♪ love keeps lifting me higher >> during the course of his historic presidential campaign the nation has watched barack obama and come to know him as a person, a candidate, and now as president of the united states. his story is an american story. it's a story of character, integrity, perseverance, and achievement. i'm roland martin. thanks for watching "believe: "the barack obama story." ♪ together we can change ♪ the world ♪ do you believe? ♪ do you believe? ♪ said i believe in miracles ♪ we can change the world ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ you outta believe ♪ everybody all over